SI joint Debridement

This is a procedure which myself and some other collaborators developed. SI joint dysfunction is a issue that affects mostly women and it can be dibilatating. The procedure involves insertion of a 1 cm tube into the joint and utilizing either laser or electrocautery, the joint is cleaned and the damaged tissue is removed. There is a lot of debate over what causes the pain in the joint but we believe in some patients that the joint itself is not totally the issue but it is the fact that all the spinal muscles insert into the posterior iliac crest and thus we believe much of the pain is from torn ligaments posteriorly and thus the debridement procedure offers a 65% success rate which is very similar to the SI joint fusion and this may be an option if fusion type procedures fail.